Nigeria’s U-15 boys will look to reignite their CAF Schools Football Championship campaign when they take on Benin on Tuesday (today) in Ouagadougou, with a place in the semifinals still achievable despite their disappointing start against Ivory Coast.
The young Nigerian side opened their WAFU B zonal qualifiers with a 4–1 defeat to the Ivorians on Monday, a setback that has now heightened the pressure ahead of their second and final Group B fixture.
The regional tournament, hosted at the Stade du 4 Août, features school teams from Burkina Faso, Ghana, Niger, Ivory Coast, Benin, and Nigeria in the boys’ division. Group A consists of Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Niger, while Group B is made up of Nigeria, Ivory Coast, and Benin.
Although the championship includes both boys’ and girls’ events, Nigeria’s participation is limited to the boys’ category in this edition.
Coach Oluwaseun Oyeniyi’s squad—selected from five secondary schools located in Kaduna, Enugu, Jalingo, Ogwashi-Ukwu, and Ido-Ekiti—arrived in Ouagadougou on Saturday after transiting through Lagos and Abidjan.
The 19-man team, comprising pupils from Government Basic Education School, Government Junior Secondary School, Adaigbo Secondary School, National Grammar School, and Ekiti Parapo College, settled into Hotel Splendid ahead of their opening fixtures in the competition.
